3:26 AM - iPad 2 And Future of Tablets
You can't browse the tech section of Google News for more than a few minutes without coming upon an article about some new tablet. Whether it runs on Android, Windows 7, webOS or iOS, it has a legion of dedicated fans jumping at the bit any leaked news, no matter how petty. When you look at all the hype surrounding a product like the iPad 2, it is easy to forget how young tablets are as a device category.
Which is why the success- or failure, of the iPad 2 is so crucial for this emerging market. Analysts already expect tablets to be a 35 billion dollar market by 2012. A third of those sales are expected to cannibalize from sales of netbooks and notebooks.
Are tablets destined for the same road?
The best answer to this question is...maybe. Tablets have a few things going for them. For one, they're much more focused devices. A tablet won't do all the things a netbook can do, but it does what it does quickly and efficiently. Mobile operating systems draw less power and accomplish a limited set of tasks with more speed.
Your iPad won't run Photoshop, but it'll boot up and have you in your email while your desktop is still powering on.
But on the other hand, tablets still represent a compromise. Power for convenience. Ease of transport for ease-of-typing. Full HD video for more comfortable, 720p video. So far, consumers seem eager to make those compromises. But the night is young.
How the iPad 2 Can Keep the Pressure Up:
The continued momentum of the tablet market will hang entirely upon the iPad 2. Apple has a few things they must deliver on.
1. Multimedia: The iPad 2 must be able to handle 1080p video with no starts, stutters or jitters. The Xoom is more than capable of this, so I don't anticipate the iPad 2 falling short. But the iPad 2 will also need to deliver superior connectivity- either through Verizon's 3G network or, ideally, LTE. Streaming media is a key part of the tablet's attraction.
2. Cost. The Xoom may have made a major miscalculation here. Tablets are much less attractive when they compare in cost to a high-end laptop. If the iPad 2 wants to maintain its momentum, that $499 price-point is utterly critical.
3. Longevity. Laptops don't get long battery life unless you spend a lot of money, or go for something like a netbook with vastly reduced functionality. The iPad's 10 hour battery was a big part of its 'wow' factor. Expect the iPad 2 to improve on this.
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tags: ipad